eBooks „safety“
175 eBooks were found for the search term „safety“.
Q. Wang
Spirit
The Paintings of Q. Wang
- Art
- English
- 15 Words
- No Age Recommendation
- 341
Spirit: The Paintings of Q. Wang is a collection of contemporary paintings by Q. Wang, a current resident of Southern California. In this “Coffee table” style of high-quality art-book of 44 selected works of artist Q. Wang created during the period from 2006 through 2010, are displayed with only title and date of origin; leaving the viewer to “feel the art”, or as stated in the Preface, “hear the music” without the distraction of a narrative.
Working with acrylic over conventional sized canvases, Q. Wang’s work is easily categorized as being modern art, abstract, using color and lines in very unique and impressive ways. Although, admittedly Q. Wang openly discusses his attraction to the art of Maurice Utrillo, I sense some subliminal influence by other renowned artists. I feel the American legend Alexander Calder aligned with his floating shapes; along with aspects reminiscent of Andy Warhol in his Hillary Clinton portrait; Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gough with some cubism. This said, the originality of Q. Wang stands on his own merit with a fundamental Asian influence. Just as it is obvious to a viewer if a picture on a wall is hung at an angle, not being straight, it is amazingly impressive how parallel, perpendicular, round and exact the geometric shapes are within Q. Wang’s work. He definitely has a highly advanced mathematical spatial relation aspect to his art, resulting in hypnotizing introspection and, in my case, a highly emotional impact. His core talent brings simplicity in shape and form. One of, if not my true favorite, is titled, Woman. In it, Q. Wang takes a red circle, two red domes and a red triangle placed over horizontal colored backgrounds bringing to mind a “nude” like some Hermann Rorschach inkblot test revealing my own thoughts. Other favorites of mine are titled Kiss and Lovers, where two “stick figures” embrace each other, one yellow and one red, over a green background. Just as universal highway and building signage uses stick figures to represent men and women with respect to safety or even a restroom, these figures are international and global in its representation of the love within humanity.
I could go on and talk about Q. Wang’s use of dimensional relations in his landscapes, or his obvious sense of passion for a lady he painted, or even the comedy within his work; but to understand his work you simply need to see it. This book is beyond excellent as a showcase for his talent. Next to having the opportunity to visit a gallery with his work, this book can be easily bought and will truly embellish the library of any art-loving collector. As the famous French film producer Jean-Luc Godard said, “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.” Q. Wang has taken me further into the appreciation of my surroundings, people, and love. That is what art is all about.
-- By Pacific Book Review [more]
Keywords: Arts, Paintings, Chinese Cultrue, Abstraction
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James Allen
BYWAYS TO BLESSEDNESS + OUT FROM THE HEART +THROUGH THE GATES OF GOOD
- Religion
- English
- 52101 Words
- Ages 18 and up
- 1
THE genius of the present age in matters spiritual is towards simplicity, and the hunger of the human heart is for Truth naked and uninvolved. That hunger wil eventual y bring about (is already bringing about) its own satisfaction, and here and there are men and women who, passing through the Gateway of Self-conquest, are entering into possession of the Transcendent Righteousness.
The closing years of the nineteenth century witnessed the culmination of Formalism, and the spiritual reaction is now firmly established. Already "the end of old faiths and beginning of the new" is discernible to al who have removed from their mental vision somewhat of the textual dust of dying creeds, and have penetrated, however faintly, that sublime region of Truth which is discoverable only by practice, and which is made manifest by pure thoughts and holy deeds.
The universal decay of effete religious systems which the world is witnessing today is matter for rejoicing; it is the death which precedes Life; it is the passing away of the false in order that the True may be more ful y revealed.
The True can, at worst, but remain hidden. It endures. It remains forever. Its invincibility cannot be qualified, and he who has but one momentary glimpse of the True can never again be anxious for its safety.
That about which men are anxious is the false, which they mistake for the True, and this, in spite of al their anxiety, must fade away at last.
In the lives of al the Great Teachers we see a manifestation of that Universal Truth, the majesty and splendor of which is as yet but dimly comprehended by mankind, but which must, during the gradual transformation and transmutation which the accumulating ages shal effect, at last become the possession of al . That Truth, as manifested by the Teachers, was written by them, as it only can be written, in thoughts and deeds of the loftiest moral excel ence which have been permanently impressed upon the mind of mankind by their embodiment in preceptial form. It is to the sweet lives and
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inspiring words of these mighty Teachers that the eyes of a hungering and thirsty world are again being turned, and the Light of Life is being lighted up, the world over, in hearts that are ready to attune themselves to the Eternal Song of Love and Peace. What religions have failed to do, Religion wil accomplish; what the Priest has obscured, the Spirit of Truth in the heart of man wil make plain, and the world is now finding spiritual healing and refreshment in turning away from traditional and historic accretions, and going back to the pure Fountain of Truth as revealed to them so simply, clearly and beautiful y by their blameless Teachers, and which had its inexhaustive spring within themselves.
To aid men and women (more particularly those in Christian countries) more speedily to find this abiding Truth, these articles, setting forth the life and precepts of Jesus, were written. Formalism and self were heavy burdens to carry, and in directing the minds of men to blamelessness of conduct and purity of heart, I know I can leave the result with the Supreme Law, and that there are those who wil read and, having read, wil pass from the burdensome complexities of ignorance and formalism to the joyful simplicity of Enlightenment and Truth.
James Allen. [more]
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JJ Pengilly
Blinkered
Tale of a Monkey on a Stick
- Fiction
- English
- 78341 Words
- Ages 16 and up
- 295
- 1
Horse racing is the Sport of Kings, but also the historical workplace of the underclass. Jockeys may inhabit both worlds and can rise, if talented and lucky, from pauper to feted royalty. Duncan Pengilly is at the peak of his powers and anointed at the top of his profession - a prince in silks. Following a fall Duncan now finds his murky past inhabiting the safe and confident place of his present. He fears for his safety - his sanity and his future - after he suffers a series of visions or hallucinations that render sitting atop a thoroughbred at full speed even more fraught with danger than it otherwise might be. At the same time his personal relationships also face the same prospects of imminent fracture. Risk and reflex are stock in trade for any successful jockey and Duncan responds to the threat by undertaking a reckless quest to find the source; to find a cure. In doing so he will be forced to confront his past in kaleidoscopic episodes and painful detail. Memories and dreams, imagination and truth. Blinkered offers a journey of discovery through the quagmire of the stable yard and glory of the racetrack, with observations and insight seen through both binoculars and Through the Looking-Glass. "Thomas Mann sat on a sumptuous black leather armchair on the business side of the desk. The only device or aid atop his desk was a cream telephone. Duncan sat uncomfortably on a chair of more humble expectations; a rigid frame perched upon a rigid frame. Duncan’s eyes darted about the room. It was sparsely decorated; a certificate of accreditation framed and set conspicuously on the wall behind the desk; a framed photograph of Mr Mann shaking hands with an unsmiling ex-Prime Minister (most widely remembered not for policy but for the manner in which he was to gain power) hung at an angle on the wall to the right. Duncan had expected a better show, piles of slow burnt ash and ample displays of flash-trash, objet d’tective: a gun, warm, though not still smoking, courtesy of Messers Smith and Wesson; knuckledusters, spotted with blood and tarnished with wear and abuse; handcuffs on the desk to be jingled and jangled at flat spots in the conversation; and there would be mug shots of criminals most vile, poor haircuts, bent and broken noses and distinguishing tattoos; a coffee crusted mug and food scraps, potato chips and various fluorescent colours of pizza toppings would brighten the desktop and floor; and where were the pornographic photographs, open files and fingerprint kits, the magnifying glass, the fucking detective stuff!? Duncan sat disillusioned and disappointed. A waste of time, he thought, preparing some excuse to leave before further embarrassing himself." [more]
Keywords: horseracing, jockeys, literature, horses
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Horace Walpole
A Castle of Otranto
- Fiction
- English
- 34586 Words
- Ages 8 and up
- 584
- 3
A Castle of Otranto is a novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, initiating a literary genre which would become extremely popular in the later 18th century and early 19th century. Thus, Walpole, by extension, is arguably the forerunner to such authors as Charles Maturin, Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and Daphne du Maurier.
The Castle of Otranto tells the story of Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family. The book begins on the wedding-day of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella. Shortly before the wedding, however, Conrad is crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls on him from above. This inexplicable event is particularly ominous in light of an ancient prophecy "That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it". Manfred, terrified that Conrad's death signals the beginning of the end for his line, resolves to avert destruction by marrying Isabella himself while divorcing his current wife Hippolita, who he feels has failed to bear him a proper heir. However, as Manfred attempts to marry Isabella, she escapes to a church with the aid of a peasant named Theodore. Manfred orders Theodore's death while talking to the friar Jerome, who ensured Isabella's safety in the church. When Theodore removes his shirt to be killed, Jerome recognizes a marking below his shoulder and identifies Theodore as his own son. Jerome begs for his son's life, but Manfred says Jerome must either give up the princess or his son's life. They are interrupted by a trumpet and the entrance of knights from another kingdom who want to deliver Isabella. This leads the knights and Manfred to race to find Isabella. Theodore, having been locked in a tower by Manfred, is freed by Manfred's daughter Matilda. He races to the underground church and finds Isabella. He hides her in a cave and blocks it to protect her from Manfred and ends up fighting one of the mysterious knights. Theodore badly wounds the knight, who turns out to be Isabella's father, Frederic. With that, they all go up to the castle to work things out. Frederic falls in love with Matilda and he and Manfred begin to make a deal about marrying each other's daughters. Manfred, suspecting that Isabella is meeting Theodore in a tryst in the church, takes a knife into the church, where Matilda is meeting Theodore. Thinking his own daughter is Isabella, he stabs her. Theodore is then revealed to be the true prince of Otranto and Matilda dies, leaving Manfred to repent. Theodore becomes king and eventually marries Isabella because she is the only one who can understand his true sorrow. [more]
Keywords: the castle of otranto, horace walpole, historic literature, romantic history, gothic horror, supernatural thriller
$2.99
Richard Dante (Hardaway)
FOLLOW THE LEADER
N/A
- Romance
- English
- 2 Words
- Ages 18 and up
- 137
- 4
FOLLOW THE LEADER
by Richard Dante,
70,055 words
SYNOPSIS
Please keep in mind this emotion charged gay novel is set in the 1960s and 70s, the Vietnam War/ Harvey Milk years, when being gay was more dangerous than it is today.
Following graduation from Santa Barbara High School with the class of ‘65, Danny Armaugh and Rob Olsen discover their lifelong friendship has escalated to something far more than brotherly love. Fear of rejection prevents them from confessing their true feeling s for one another. At first, Danny suppressed his own homosexuality, while Rob masked his sexual preference in the guise of a macho ladies’ man.
Following Danny's disturbing self discovery, Rob takes off for his summer job at Yosemite. Stuck at home and believing Rob is straight, Danny decides to substitute nightly fantasies for the real thing. Months later, Rob confesses his own love for Danny.
During the joyful two year affair that follows, Danny develops his extraordinary musical talents.
After graduating from Santa Barbara Junior College, at the the height of the Vietnam war, Rob is drafted, and Danny goes on to UC Berkeley. While on Christmas leave in San Francisco, Rob and Danny are joined in a riotous wedding ceremony.
A year after Rob is shipped out to Vietnam, Danny has a horrific nightmare in which he finds Rob's body on the battlefield. Actually Rob is not killed, but wounded in action. Ironically, the Pentagon, attempting to boost public acceptance of their unpopular little war, turns the gay marine into a national hero. In Washington, the president presents him with the Medal of Honor, and back in Santa Barbara there is a triumphant home coming parade.
Though temporarily paralyzed, the hero manages to be sexually active, and the two young men enjoy a passionate love life.
Still in a wheelchair, the ex-marine accompanies Danny back to UC Berkeley to study psychology--with a specialty in homosexual trauma. Urged by Rob, his biggest fan, talented singer-composer Armaugh turns in a triumphant student performance, and is discovered by former child-actor-turned-talent-agent, Paul Connor.
Following a successful audition and contract signing at an important record company in Los Angeles, Paul Connor treats his new protégé and Rob Olsen to dinner. There, the duo meet Connor's lover, the outwardly charming Ralph Noon, an important TV actor. While assisting wheelchair bound Olsen to the men's room. Noon reveals his paranoid tendencies. Suspicious of Danny and Paul Connor's new business relationship, he advises Rob to warn Danny there'll be trouble if he tries to steal Paul from him.
The agent successfully steers Danny into an international career. Awed by the power of his uplifting message, the nation takes him to its heart and makes him a modern folk hero
During a world tour, Danny and his entourage stop in apartheid dominated South Africa. The whites refuse to sell tickets to the blacks and the singer decides to perform only for the native tribes. The Armaugh troupe puts on a rousing show for thousands of natives in a natural amphitheater outside Johannesburg. The Armaugh group is hailed as heroes by the “nonwhites” and condemned by the rejected “whites” who expel Danny and his troop from their country with the warning never to return.
Following a recording session, Paul confesses he's afraid of Ralph Noon, who has threatened to kill him if he strays. Danny invites the agent to move in with them for safety
While Danny is in a recording session. Paul arrives to at Danny and Rob's home, and in a jealous rage Ralph Noon shoots Paul. Noon is arrested for attempted murder while Dan and Rob rush to the hospital. The surgeon holds out little hope for Paul's survival. While awaiting the outcome, country singer, Arnie Armor, another of Paul's clients, joins them.
After the trio spends an all night vigil they are told the agent is out of danger.
Months later, Ralph Noon is brought to trial. With Rob, Danny, a recovering Paul Connor, and Noon family members witnesses, the TV actor is convicted and locked away in a mental facility.
Romance blooms between the country singer, Armor, and his agent, though, like much of Danny's public, Paul harbors some romantic feelings for Danny
As Paul recovers, Danny decides to join Paul and Rob in their fight for gay rights. When he comes out publicly on TV’s MEET THE PRESS, many of Danny's fans turn against him. Undaunted, he joins the leadership of the gay rights movement, and helps pave the way for important legislation.
Danny, Rob and Paul travel the country advocating equality for gays. Against everyone's advice Danny elects to speak at a major labor union convention in Dallas. On the steps of the convention center he's met by Bobby Joe Stark, a leader of the bible belt bigots. In an informal debate covered by TV news, Danny makes a fool of the Baptist minister.
Inside the Dallas convention hall, the union members refuse to listen to Danny’s pleas for equality, and boo him off the stage. During the uproar, a shot rings out. Danny is wounded by a young closeted gay who's confused love with hate. The wound is minor and psychologist Rob convinces the would be assassin all is not as grim as it seems.
Persevering, the Armaugh trio continue working with the country's gay rights leaders. The novel draws to a joyous close with a celebration of the California legislature’s passage of the “Consenting Adults” Bill AB489, and it is signed into law by California’s then Governor Jerry Brown. There is a group wedding ceremony in which Rob and Danny renew their vows and along with others, Paul Connor and Arnie Armors' union is also blessed.
NOTE: Considerable research went into the writing, and I believe it is historically and psychologically correct. There are some explicit love scenes, but I don't consider them pornographic. I believe this is a "mainstream" novel with some erotic passages. [more]
Keywords: m/m, Gay Romance, historical, Vietnam War
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